The Bars Are Ours

"[A] sprawling, playful and rigorous account of the clubs and bars that served as petri dishes for American gay identity. . . . The Bars Are Ours illuminates a rocky path to this great gay present." - Hari Nef, New York Times Book Review

“The Bars Are Ours is a joy to read. Lucas Hilderbrand is able to insert himself into his narrative in ways that make it come alive and, at the same time, steps back and analyzes. The stories are so compelling! Some made me laugh, some left me teary-eyed, and some offered eye-opening insights into a history that is shamefully undertold and underappreciated.” - John D’Emilio, author of Memories of a Gay Catholic Boyhood: Coming of Age in the Sixties

“Lucas Hilderbrand’s The Bars Are Ours is a true tour de force. It is a comprehensive historical study of gay bars in the United States that is at once exhaustively researched and beautifully precise. Hilderbrand demonstrates a true respect for this history and tells it in a vital new way. Clearly and elegantly written, this is a nuanced, conceptual, and moving work.” - Christina B. Hanhardt, author of Safe Space: Gay Neighborhood History and the Politics of Violence

"In his historical opus, Hilderbrand makes a comprehensive study of the history of gay bars in America from 1960 to the present day." - Gary Day, Booklist

"Hildebrand’s writing is transportive, which bolsters his impressive research. . . . A powerful celebration and examination of LGBTQIA+ nightlife. This book will serve as a significant record of evolving cultural touchstones and queer communities across the country." (Starred Review, A Best Book of 2023) - Kate Bellody, Library Journal

"A fascinating archival deep dive. . . . Chock-full of excerpts from local gay press rags, recent oral histories, and a treasure trove of old fliers and ads that are as sexy as they are clever and funny, the book shows how the bars reflected the queer communities they attracted—in their irreverence, activism, and spirit of warmth and safety, as well as (sometimes) their overt or implicit discrimination and bias against patrons who did not fit a certain cisgender, gay white male ideal." - Tim Murphy, The Body

"I have a soft spot for gay bars, which are dwindling fast for some good reasons and also for some difficult ones, and Lucas Hilderbrand’s book The Bars Are Ours tickled the sweet spot in my nostalgia, while also being pretty clear about the ways that gay bars have historically been complicated—racist, gender-policing and often unwelcoming to people who are considered too old, insufficiently fancy or not commercially attractive. Hilderbrand, a professor of media studies, is my favourite kind of smartypants—he knows an absolute ton and still manages to write interesting, vibrant prose with some of the sparkle still on it, not weighted down with jargon and internal politicking of the discipline." - S. Bear Bergman, Xtra!

"A stunning new work of research. . . . One thing that stands out about the book is how howlingly funny some of the passages are, and this makes what could otherwise be a dry academic text both enchanting and engaging. . . . This is ultimately an uplifting and hopeful book. . . . The book leaves the reader feeling that the era of gay bars is not over and they will evolve to meet the needs of our diverse communities in the future." - Michael Flanagan, Bay Area Reporter

"A history by means of a series of in-depth case studies—a bar crawl, if you will, from the Gold Coast leather bar in Chicago to the drag queens of the Jewel Box in Kansas City to the Latinx cowboys of Club Tempo in Los Angeles. . . . It’s also a crawl into the different aspect of gay culture. We get lengthy histories of leather culture, the role of gay bars in gentrification, and of the racism that often led to them becoming segregated spaces." - Kevin Brazil, The Baffler

"An essential addition to the growing but still woefully incomplete published histories of gay bars. . . . The precious worth, though, of The Bars Are Ours comes from Hilderbrand’s dedication to being a 'rigorous queen' in his research, digging up delicious tidbits and remembrances from gay bars’ elusive histories that even those of us obsessed with gay bars never heard, read, or knew before." - Emily Colucci, Filthy Dreams

"A lucid and refreshingly clear-eyed analysis of the bar and club scene. . . . The Bars Are Ours is a remarkable achievement and essential reading for any serious student of contemporary queer history." - Matthew Hays, Gay and Lesbian Review

"Hilderbrand makes an important contribution to LGBTQIA+ history in this engagingly written book. . . . Hilderbrand warns that his volume is not intended as a comprehensive encyclopedia, but future researchers will be grateful for an appendix listing many gay bars and clubs (both active and closed), another on LGBTQIA+ periodicals, and a splendid bibliography. Hilderbrand's expertise lies in film and media studies, which helps explain the richness of his illustrations. . . . Recommended. General readers through faculty." - D. M. Fahey, Choice

"Hildebrand’s book is a unique contribution in that it captures histories of bars that have long since closed and includes rarely used artifacts. It approaches the culture of gay bars and their artifacts on their own terms rather than though a single theoretical lens. Even though many gay bars have been associated with gay white men, the book is careful to identify the exclusionary histories of these bars, the politics of dealing with exclusion, and queer reinventions of spaces that address exclusion to some degree." - Curt Richard Winkle, Journal of Planning History

"The Bars Are Ours is the insightful national overview of gay bars that many historians have long awaited, giving a much-needed through line of LGBTQ+ community formation that is well worth following." - Tim Retzloff, Journal of American History

"The teacher in me lives for this sort of breakdown. The chapters feel detailed enough that they can stand alone, perfect for undergraduate courses in which reading the entire book all at once may not always be practical. . . . After finishing [this] fabulous book, you’re gonna want to go party. And why not? The queer night that shines through . . . is intoxicating." - Eric Gonzaba, Journal of the History of Sexuality